It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
by lovepatrolalpha618
Summary: SPOILERS for "Dipper and Mabel VS the Future". In the aftermath of everything that has happened, Dipper is determined to find his sister and stop Bill. Meanwhile he begins to have his doubts about Ford and suffers a devastating loss. Is there any hope now for a future? Is all truly what it seems? Can they defeat Bill and save the world? And what about Mabel?


After watching Dipper and Mabel VS the Future, I just HAD to write this! Oh man, the feels! The theories! Some of the dialogue is from the episode and the promo for the next one, based on a theory I have about what might happen next. I can't wait to see what's actually in store but in the meantime...

* * *

 **It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)**

"Mabel, wait!" Dipper called out after his sister as she ran off into the woods, crying and upset, because of him. He started to follow after her but he only made it to the front porch. Maybe it was better if she was left alone for now… let her cry it out and then later, once she had calmed down, they could talk about this.

 _Stupid walkie-talkies!_ He thought, angry that the walkie-talkies were so unreliable all day, and the one time it worked it was when he and Ford were talking about him staying in Gravity Falls without her. He didn't even realize it was on. While he had thought about what Mabel would think about him becoming Ford's apprentice, he didn't know she would take it so hard.

Sighing dejectedly, he headed back inside and joined Ford. He looked at his Great Uncle in a new light, and he wasn't sure about what he saw. It wasn't a negative light by any means, but tiny seeds of doubt slowly began to creep into his mind about his idol and mentor. Ford had assumed that being so close to Mabel would be smothering to Dipper, he didn't understand that they were best friends. Dipper couldn't stand to see her hurt, and it gnawed at his gut and yet Ford seemed annoyed by it, especially when he expressed having second thoughts because of her.

Ford dismissed her and her feelings, as he did all day which made Dipper wonder if he thought Mabel was holding him back, like Stanley held him back when they were young. After all, how many times did Ford compare Dipper to his younger self? It made Dipper happy but…didn't he realize that Mabel was her own person? That just because Dipper was like Ford didn't mean that she was like Stanley. Is that what he thought of her?

 _Nah, I'm reading too much into things,_ he thought, because Ford liked Mabel. He didn't trust her, which Dipper knew secretly hurt Mabel's feelings sometimes, but Ford had a hard time trusting anyone. It wasn't personal. Besides, even though he dismissed how Mabel might feel about the issue of Dipper staying in Gravity Falls, he didn't think so little of her to compare him to his brother.

And Ford was right, Mabel might be important to Dipper, but fixing the crack in the Rift was far more important than anything right now, bigger than Mabel and Ford and the idea of becoming his apprentice, this was about protecting the _world_. So he dug through his bag only to realize with horror that he was holding Mabel's hand drawn 13th birthday flyer. He had the wrong backpack which meant…

 _Mabel has the Rift!_

"Oh no!" He exclaimed. "The Rift!"

Together they ran up the stairs and outside to go after her, only to be met with a fierce wind and the sky, it was red and a giant yellow "X" was forming. They stopped dead in their tracks, "Wh…what's going on?!" Dipper gasped, even though he had an idea. _The Rift! Mabel! No, no, no, no…_ He had an idea, but he didn't want it to be true."What is that?!" he asked, hoping for an answer different than the one that came to mind, but it _couldn't_ be…

"We're too late," Ford said solemnly as the "X" grew bigger and bigger and a giant, triangle shaped shadow was cast upon them, "It's the end of the world."

Above them hovering in the sky just above the woods in the direction Mabel had run off in tears, was Bill Cipher, laughing victoriously. No longer confined to the limitations of the Dreamscape or a possessed body, but now a threatening and powerful deity, wreaking havoc in their world.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening!" Dipper exclaimed breathlessly, _Mabel had the Rift and now it's broken which means…oh man she's right there in the middle of all this!_ He glanced up at Bill who was now enormous. Dipper was wide eyed and terrified, realizing that Bill was probably hovering right above where Mabel had run off to. He turned to Ford, "What do we do now?"

Ford seemed relatively calm and collected as he asked, "Dipper, will you follow me?"

"To the ends of the earth," he replied with complete faith and sincerity. Sure Ford had his flaws, but he was his mentor and the author of the journals. If anyone knew what to do, and how to stop Bill it was him.

"Good," he replied, "because that's where we're headed. Come on…" He turned to go back into the Shack and Dipper hesitated.

"Wait!" he called after him, "What about Mabel? She's out there, she could be hurt or, or…"

"I'm sure she's fine," he scoffed and Dipper took a step back. He could understand him dismissing Mabel's feelings in a way, even if he disagreed, but her _life_? To shrug it off so casually?

"She had the Rift which means she could be right there in the middle of…"

"Dipper, we'll find her but there are more important things to worry about right now!" he said with authority.

"More important than Mabel?"

"Need I remind you that she's the one who took your bag and stole the Rift? That she's the one who…"

"We don't know what happened out there!" Dipper snapped, "She didn't _mean_ to take the wrong backpack! For all we know it was an accident, or…or…or she fell into a trap or was tricked! You're talking as though she knew, as though it was on purpose…but she had no idea! No matter what happened, or what she might have done, how could she have known? Maybe if you trusted her… She's not Stanley and I'm not _you_ , I'd trust Mabel with my life and now hers is in danger!"

Ford stared at him in shock, but he kept his composure, "Dipper, _all_ of our lives are in danger if we don't do something! Now follow me so we can come up with a plan to stop this!"

"Okay, but not without Mabel!" Dipper replied, wiping the tears in his eyes, "I can't do this without her!"

The sky opened up and dark entities crossed into the world, the ground shook and Dipper ran.

"Dipper wait!" Ford called after him, but Dipper was on a mission. Everything else could wait.

He took out his radio as he ran, "Mabel! Mabel are you there? Come in Mabel!" But there was no answer. Panic and worry pushed him onward as he ran as fast as he could in the direction Mabel had run earlier, as he ran towards the heart of all the chaos.

He stopped in his tracks at the sight of a familiar figure who was looking up in terror. It was Blendin Blandin, the time-traveller. He was surprised to see him, but didn't question why he was there. Instead he followed his line of sight and his heart twisted into a knot as pain and fear gripped his soul.

Engulfed in a pink glow, floating higher and higher into the air, towards the X-shaped vortex leading to the Nightmare Realm was Mabel. She was unconscious, dangling like she was being held up by a string connected to her back between her shoulder blades, lifeless and limp.

"MABEL!" he screamed in horror. "MABEL NOOOOOO!"

Above them Bill Cipher took notice and laughed, "Well, well, well Pine Tree! What's up?" he greeted, "Did you miss me?"

"Let go of my sister!" He screamed as the pink bubble that now was encasing Mabel stopped its ascent to hover over Bill's giant open palm.

"Not a chance Pine Tree, Shooting Star and I made a deal. She's mine now," he laughed.

"Please! Let her go! Spare her, _please_! I'll do ANYTHING!"

"Anything?" Bill considered as he waved his hands, sending the bubble to twist and turn around his hands like it got caught on a wind current until it was floating between them. From his vantage point he could see Mabel's face, but she was so high up he couldn't tell if she was hurt or if she was even breathing. She looked so pale and lifeless, for all Dipper knew she was dead already.

"Yes, anything, please!"

Bill laughed maniacally, "Sorry kiddo! No deal! I have everything I want now, there's nothing you have to offer that would interest me."

Dipper could sense Ford approaching him from behind and felt him place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Sixer! Coming to join the party?" Bill asked, "You're just in time to see a magic trick!" he waved his hands and the bubble containing Mabel twirled and floated in the current. "Nothing up my sleeve!" he outstretched his arms as though demonstrating the trick like a magician, "Now watch as I make a Shooting Star disappear!" Suddenly he clapped his hands over the bubble, like one might try to kill a mosquito.

"NO!" Dipper screamed, falling to his knees.

"Ta da!" Bill said triumphantly pulling his hands apart to show that nothing was there. There was no sign of Mabel or the strange pink glowing bubble. She was gone.

"NO!" he screamed again, on his hands and knees, pounding at the dirt with his fists, feeling as though Bill had taken his heart and tore it into a million pieces, "Give her back! Give her back!"

"Dipper," Ford crouched over him, squeezing his shoulder, "Dipper there's nothing we can do for her now. We have to go, we have to find a way to stop him before anyone else can…"

"Let go of me!" Dipper snapped angrily, overwhelmed with grief and despair. "This is your fault! If you just trusted her, if you..."

"Dipper…" a new voice said softly, "I…I…I'm sorry," Blendin stammered, prompting Dipper to look up at him. "H…he tricked me. Took over m…my body. He used me to convince her t…to give him the Rift."

At first Dipper wanted to direct his wrath at the time traveller, _So it's his fault then!_ He thought furiously, but then he saw it, on his belt. The measuring tape! He could fix this! He could go back in time and stop all this from happening. "That's it!" he exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet to charge towards him but a flash of blue light threw him back, keeping him away. He landed painfully on his side, and instantly Ford was there, making sure he wasn't injured.

Dipper groaned in pain, his body throbbing from impact. He propped himself up with his elbow and glanced at Blendin who was lying unconscious, his grey suit was lightly singed but the time travelling measuring tape was completely destroyed.

"Ah, ah, ah, that would be cheating," Bill taunted, pointing his finger at them as though it was an imaginary gun. A blue light swirled around his fingertip and his finger moved as though pulling an imaginary trigger and blue flames shot out towards him.

Acting quickly, Ford pulled Dipper out of the line of fire and not giving him a chance to protest he scooped him into his arms and ran, heading for the Mystery Shack. It was protected still, thanks to Mabel getting the unicorn hair, which made it the safest place in Gravity Falls at the moment.

He carried Dipper back so they could regroup and come up with a plan, but Dipper wasn't going without a fight. "Please, let me go! I have to save Mabel!" he cried but it wasn't until they were safely inside that he set Dipper down and kneeled in front of him, wrapping his arms around him. "I need to save her!"

"Shh, she's gone Dipper, I'm so sorry but she's gone. There's nothing we can do for her now," he soothed, "I'm so sorry…"

Dipper cried into his shoulder, ignoring the chilling sounds of chaos outside. He clutched at his aching chest, at the painful hole in his soul where Mabel used to be. _I can't believe she's gone…she can't be gone. I have to save her…_

"I'm so, so sorry," Ford continued, "but we'll defeat him. We'll stop Bill and end his reign somehow, together we can do this. I don't know how yet, but we will. I have an idea that just might work. The world may be ending, but it hasn't ended yet and I'll be damned if we don't go out without a fight."

Dipper sniffed and pulled away from his Great Uncle's comforting embrace. His pained expression turning into one of anger and determination. "So what do we do now?" he asked, his voice cold and thick.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Dipper considered his question. Of course he trusted him, but...did he deserve it? After everything that happened, after Mabel...oh man if only Ford trusted _her._ Then this wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have let herself be tricked had she known, if she knew what was at stake, she wouldn't have given up the Rift for _anything_. But she had no idea. And Ford dismissed her all day, implied that she was smothering him, maybe even holding him back. He wasn't sure if Ford really believed it, but now that he thought about it, it sure seemed like it. This didn't have to happen. _This is your fault!_

And yet, there was no one else more knowledgeable than Ford to fight Bill. Ford wasn't perfect he didn't mean for all this to happen any more than Mabel did, Dipper knew that. Besides, now wasn't the time to be pointing fingers and assigning blame. Ultimately there was only one who could be held responsible, and they had to stop him. If there was any hope in saving the world and maybe saving Mabel (because he _refused_ to believe she was dead), then of course Dipper had to trust Ford. He nodded as he swallowed a lump forming in his throat.

"Then follow me," Ford said, pulling him to his feet and leading him to the vending machine.

Dipper followed. He was angry and grief-stricken, and Bill Cipher was going _down_! He was determined to put an end to that dorito shaped demon for good one way or another.

 _This is not the end of the world. This is WAR!_

/\

Meanwhile, somewhere between worlds, completely unaware of the madness all around her, Mabel slept, trapped in a deep, deep slumber.

She had no idea that the world was coming to an end; that Bill and his friends from the Nightmare Realm had escaped into her world, bringing destruction and chaos.

She had no clue that as she slept she was slowly dying. That she was being used like a door stop, her life force being drained like a battery in order to keep the portal between worlds open.

She had no clue, she had no idea, she was completely unaware. In fact she had forgotten all about her encounter with Bill, about how he tricked her into handing him the mysterious, innocuous looking globe with the crack in the glass. She had forgotten all about her fight with Dipper, how he was planning to abandon her, how summer was almost over and soon she would have to leave everything behind. She had forgotten everything.

She was too busy having the best summer of her life. A summer that would never end. She had everything she wanted, her brother by her side, he friends were there whenever she needed them, she had her beloved pet pig, two wonderful Grunkles for the price of one, and best of all, a 13th birthday that would never come.

She could be twelve forever if that's what she wants. Summer wouldn't end until she decided it was time. But why would she want to?

Everything was perfect.

Bill had kept his end of the bargain. And now, somewhere between worlds, cocooned in a glowing pink time bubble, Mabel slept, trapped in an eternal slumber as she slowly faded away into nothing and the world below her burned. Blissfully unaware of her bleak surroundings, and dire predicament, Mabel smiled.

* * *

Reviews are very much appreciated, thanks! This is complete for now but I might continue. Maybe. Should I?


End file.
